


Where Do We Go From Here?

by Starlightdawn



Category: Ghost Adventures (TV)
Genre: Blow Jobs, Fluff, M/M, Porn, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-08
Updated: 2017-06-02
Packaged: 2018-10-29 13:11:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10854690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starlightdawn/pseuds/Starlightdawn
Summary: Sequel to 'At Long Last...' Zak and Nick try to continue their relationship, but something troublesome is on the way.My two favourite genres.....Sex and Horror.All fiction, I'm sure.....





	1. Better and Better

By the afternoon of their second day together, both men were feeling far more confident. Wrapping Nick’s wrists in a discarded tee shirt, which was now firmly anchored to the bed head, had been Zak’s idea, and of course the younger man had gone along with it. Now, Nick was beginning to wonder if he had really thought it through, as the Ghost Hunter was doing things to his cock he had only ever imagined.

Zak lifted his gaze, seeing the stubbled chin pointed to the ceiling, and strong capable hands clutching at the white cotton tight enough to split it. Although he had been hesitant at first, the effect this set up triggered was way better than he expected, and contrary to what he had always thought, a mouth full of Nick’s hard on was something special, really intimate, making his own cock as hard as a rock.

He pulled back, tongue darting, hearing the breath huffing out of Nick at each press and lick he gave. Wrapping his elegant fingers around the twitching dick, he uncoiled his long body, and laid comfortably next to his partner, his hand moving lazily to keep Nick quivering on the edge of orgasm.

“Mmm….sorry dude…..just think you’ll thank me for spinning it out……” he smiled wickedly, dimples making his face look at least twenty years younger than his actual age. Although his hair was slightly dishevelled, it had still kept the shape of the trademark Zak fin. Nick, on the other hand, was breaking down under the constant and meticulous attention of the older man. His hair had lost the battle with gel, and was curling against his skull in tight little ringlets.

“For fuck’s sake Zak…...just do it…..I can’t take this much more…..” His voice was hoarse, rising to an almost hysterical pitch, as his eyes pleaded with Zak.

“Ok…. I suppose I’ve tormented you enough….” his hand slid down slyly, rolling Nick’s balls until he felt them tense, then patting at the soft skin, until Nick grunted. He sat up again, gripping firmly under Nick’s knees, lifting until he had the younger man bent up, cock slapping hard against his happy trail, displaying the pink bud of his opening. With seemingly practised ease, he lubed up his fingers, using his long digits to push into Nick, being careful to hold tight around the base of his dick - he relished being in control, and Nick would climax only when he allowed it.

Nick’s face was gleaming with sweat, his brows knitted together, taking the slippery entry of Zak’s fingers as best he could. A sensation of almost painful discomfort was overpowered by an intense desire to orgasm, thwarted by Zak’s tight grip around his dick. He panted, as he felt the broad cock start to push inside him, big despite the slick, pulling him apart in a way that made his body shake, and his cock leak madly. As Zak inched inside, he knew just where to slide against the sensitive nerve ends, causing Nick to react, his body jerking hard, but finding no relief due to Zak’s tight hold.

“Hold on…...almost there…….” Zak was moving with a long even stroke, his eyes, pupils huge and black, gazing down into Nick’s, relishing how the younger man was feeling, the shudders of his hard muscles sliding against Zak’s almost like physical combat. Zak knew when he had to let go; Nick’s voice was breaking, choking out the word “please” as tears started to fall.

He pushed inside, flexing his hips as far as he could against the younger man’s thighs, stroking his cock in firm but gentle strokes, resisting the temptation to buck until Nick was panting and groaning, shooting cum hard over his chest. Then Zak took his pleasure, feeling the deep clench rippling over his cock, pulling his orgasm into stratospheric levels.


	2. Reality Bites

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When they get back....

After their weekend away, the real world just didn’t seem real anymore. Despite returning on different flights to different airports, they still felt the connection generated by the amount and intensity of their physical passion. But the downside was, to them at least, it was as if everyone knew.

Zak’s mom was the first to comment, asking if he had made it up with Nick, it was such a shame for them not to be friends. Zak had kept his head down, fussing over Gracie, and pleading he had far too much work to do to stay for dinner, and he was still feeling a little tired, although his fever seemed to have gone.

At the office, Aaron’s curiosity was intrusive to say the least. Although there had been texts, Zak had barely responded, leaving the bald man worried and aggrieved in equal measures. He didn’t understand how spending two nights and three whole days, on his own, in the back of beyond, hadn’t driven Zak crazy. For Zack, not having his buddies around was like being in solitary confinement…..Aaron could not get his head around it.

Especially as Zak now seemed to have a spring in his step, and could be heard whistling if he thought there was no one around. Aaron liked to think he was Zack’s best friend, replacing Nick in the pole position of Zak’s entourage. It was upsetting for him if Zak didn’t tell him everything…..so he set about trying to wring every last detail out of his reluctant leader.

“So….where did you go….you didn’t spend all weekend holed up in your room…?”

“Yeah…..apart from the bar across the street that’s exactly what I did…..”

“But...what did you do?? You must have been bored man…..?”

“Nope….I spent most of the time in bed…….”

“What…..just sleeping….?

“On and off…...you know how it is when you get a fever……..”

Zak was getting a little irritated with the questions, and pushed his way past the bald man to go for water. Aaron looked after him, a puzzled frown over his face….he’d never in all the time he knew Zak, known him just stay, on his own, in a strange place. He huffed, knowing full well that Zack would only tell him what he wanted him to know, so he’d just better be patient.

Nick was also finding things strange. When he finally got into work, Katrina was very short with him, disappearing into one meeting or another without spending any time at all discussing their next location, research, or any of the usual topics which would need to be resolved before they hit the next haunted place. Eventually Nick found her in the downstairs cafeteria, just about to eat her lunch.

“Hi Kat...is it OK for me to sit?” He would normally not have hesitated, but the cold reception he had been getting from her made him nervous. She had just taken a bite of her sandwich, so just waved him to sit, big blue eyes still maintaining the hard stare as she chewed.

“I was hoping we could go over the plans for the next couple of locations…..I think I’ve got everything covered now, so won’t need to go dashing off again….” He smiled at her, trying hard to win her over, whilst wondering what the heck was her problem. She had been ok before they had the trouble, when the river burst in the cellar, and after that, when they were all drying off, she had disappeared off to her own room. It was the next morning, after she had called on Zak, watching him blush in his dressing gown, as Nick frantically texted from under the covers on Zak’s bed, that she might just have picked up on something. 

A flashing light went off in his head, as he thought of Zak, dropping a teaspoon just so he could reach down and hide his face. When he looked back, she had put down her food, and was holding the water bottle.

“Katrina…...what’s wrong….you’ve been off with me all day….have I done something to upset you…?” His voice was light, the sort of tone he would have used with his little daughter.  
Kat pursed her lips, inhaling sharply.

“Nick…..I’m not stupid you know……” she sounded uncomfortable, leaving Nick to tense, wondering what would come next. “It’s you…...and Zak…..”

There she had said it, she had somehow guessed. Nick felt himself spiral as her words sunk in. When Zak had asked him, indeed told him, that their relationship had to be kept private, he had promised that he would do everything he could to make it so. He knew that Zak meant it. If Nick screwed this up, he would lose the tall good looking Ghost Hunter, permanently.

Nick’s face dropped, as he tried desperately to hide his feelings, an overwhelming anger coursing through him, despite being normally so even tempered. The thought of losing Zak made him want to cry, or hit something, or both. Kat was still staring at him. He tried to meet her stony gaze, mute as the sound of his heartbeat drummed in his ears.

“Look, I know you two have so much history….but it’s just not fair to give up on what we’ve got going…..we’ve put such a lot into it….”

Nick swallowed, not really understanding what she was saying, still feeling overwhelmed by her declaration.

“Slow down Kat...what are you trying to say……..?”

He swallowed again, nerves like a knot in his belly.

“You….you and Zak…..going off to make a programme together…..I can see it coming…..”

He blinked, stupidly.

“What…...you think me and Zak are thinking of making a programme…..together…..?”

“Well, it’s obvious….you two pretend not to be speaking, but at the Elphinstone the both of you were inseparable. If you had seen him when the river flooded, he was like a crazy man trying to get you out of the cellar. He wants you back...whether it’s Ghost Adventures, or something new, but either way, I’m not happy.”

Nick turned to look over his shoulder, as the relief washed over him, hiding his face away from the piercing blue eyes of his colleague. Turning back to face Kat, he tried to reassure her that there was no programme, or anything else tying him together with the Ghost Adventures crew in general, or Zak Bagans in particular. She continued munching her sandwich, and Nick stood, anxious to get away now he knew what she had been brooding over.

Some time later, he was sorting through a pile of cameras when Kat walked up behind him.

“Sorry for giving you a hard time, Nick, I was just angry at the thought of losing our programme…..especially to Zak…….he’s an arrogant s.o.b. at the best of times, and I wouldn’t put it past him to set you up for his own benefit.”

Nick hesitated, wanting to spring to his lover’s defence, but holding back on appearing too quick to respond.

“Don’t worry K, I’m not going back to Ghost Adventures anytime soon…..”

Kat raised her eyebrow, her look cynical, before she turned and walked away.


	3. Keeping a Low Profile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zak insists they keep their bromance a secret.....

There are things in this world that really piss Zak off, and trying to get to film in an obviously empty location, where there was no earthly reason not to film, was one of them. He had given up wrangling with the people who normally sorted out this type of thing, and had taken himself off, driving down the broad highway just outside of LA, where he could try to relax.

The four days since he had last seen Nick had seemed like forever, what with problems with the location, and Aaron nagging him, he needed a break. Pulling into a lay by, facing the long strip of desert, he listened impatiently as the ringing tone chimed from the phone. He was taking a breath to cuss when, with a click, the answer came.

“Nick Groff.”

“Hey, Nick...it’s me…..can you talk?”

“Yeah, just got in….how are you?”

“I’m sitting in the car…...pissed off…...can I come over later? I’ll be quiet and wear a disguise…”

Nick hesitated, butterflies launched in his stomach at the thought of seeing Zak, closely followed by the acknowledgement that having Zak come over to his flat would leave them vulnerable to be recognised by anyone passing. But he wanted to see Zak, more than anything.

“OK - but be careful dude…...I’ll text you the address. It’s not as glamorous a crib as I used to have, but it’ll do.”

“Can’t wait……..shall I bring pizza?”

“Yeah….I’m hungry now……”

“I’m hungry now too……..” Zak’s voice dropped, a sexy huskiness making Nick tingle on the other side of the phone.

“See you when it’s dark, man….”

“Yeah….see you”

Nick still held the phone, the deep voice he had just heard having the well remembered effect. His spine prickled, the thought of Zak soon being in his arms again turning his mind back to their shared weekend away. Palming his stubble, the brown eyes checked himself in the mirror. He needed a shave, and he looked tired.

Fifteen minutes later, he was laying in the bath, the razor drying off, trying hard not to think of a number of different ways he could make Zak whimper. He nodded off in the warm water, a small smile lingering around his mouth. 

 

The bell rang insistently, as Nick hurried to open the door. A tall, yellow clad figure, a red and white striped logo decorating his cap, held up a large insulated pizza box, bright with the same logo of the pizza place down the block.

“Hey….pizza delivery…..you ordered pizza dude?” Zak did a high pitched silly voice, waggling the false beard which was already drooping from his chin.

“Holy fuck man…..what are you doing…..?” Nick sounded surprised, but dragged Zak in through the door, took the box from him, and pulled off the beard. “Where did you get this outfit from, you look more conspicuous than if you’d walked up here naked!”

“OK, next time I’ll try that approach…..”

Zack had his arms over Nick’s shoulders, the pair of them smiling, each holding off to see who would make the first move. Eventually it was Zak, his black hair tickling Nick’s forehead, who kissed first, soft and gentle, but promising a whole load of passion to come. The first kiss didn’t end until they gasped for air, both guys unwilling to stop something so pleasurable.

Nick pulled back, giggling at the sound of his stomach grumbling. Zak smiled, pushing his hair back into place, looking around for the pizza box.

“I guess we should eat man….might need to keep the energy levels up….” his face beamed as Nick opened the box, and dished out healthy sizes portions onto the plates he had ready.  
They ate, companionably, swapping the details of the last few days. Zak’s eyebrows rose when Nick told him about Katrina, and her suspicion that they may be resurrecting their partnership.

Zak glanced around at the apartment, which although clean and tidy, had none of the luxury of his own home. It seemed that for Nick, keeping his estranged wife was taking it’s toll.

“That might not be a bad idea, buddy…..I could use your input on a place I’m trying to investigate….might be something you could work on….You’d get paid for it…..” 

“Zak….one minute you’re telling me I need to make sure we don’t get found out….next you are offering me work….it’s screwed up man…..”

Zak slid onto the sofa, next to Nick, pushing himself against the slim figure.

“Not if we’re careful….Aaron’s stopped with the questions, and the others….well, as long as we make programmes, I don’t think they are bothered...the chance to see more of you - I’m pretty sure that’ll be worth it……..” His blue eyes bored into Nick’s, a hand hot and greedy, squeezing his thigh.

Nick pulled back, his eyes glowing chocolate embers.

“I think we should think about that, bro….carefully…..”

“Yeah, we will, but not now….Come on bro…...let’s get more comfortable…”


	4. Down to Business

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zak visits Nick with a proposition.

In minutes few, they were both naked, twined around each other on Nick’s bed.

Zak, not thinking about the effect it would have on his hair, was pushed up close to Nick’s shoulder, his arms around the younger man’s chest, pushing kisses against his neck.  
“Holy cow, I’ve missed you so much G...I thought I missed you before, but now, it’s like a constant ache…..”  
“A constant ache in your dick more like…..” Nick retorted, his hand stroking the Ghost Hunters long back, his fingers digging in occasionally, easing the knots of tension he found there.  
Zak turned up to look into Nick’s face, seeing his mouth smiling, lips already pink from hard kisses.  
“Nope…..although I thought of you...and what we did…..many times….” His dimples showed as he beamed up at Nick, “it wasn’t just for this…...it was about you….and all the time we wasted….”

Nick, ever the level headed one, wrapped his hands over Zak’s broad shoulders, making him lie on his back without much persuasion.  
“Shut up Zak….unless you don’t want me to….?” His eyes sparkled as he looked down at Zak’s erection, bobbing up, hard as a rock already.  
“Oh yeah...I so fucking want you to bro….you do things to me that I never knew existed…..”

Nick shuffled south, settling in the space between the muscled thighs, and soon had Zak moaning, as he licked and sucked alternately, varying the speed and pressure until the dark haired man was quivering under his attention. After a while he pulled off, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand, just before matters became critical.

“Think it’s your turn, dude…..” he muttered, settling down on his back, and elbowing Zak to take over. Zak kissed him, his mouth fierce, tonguing him deeply, then gently biting his bottom lip. He felt Nick’s sharp intake of breath, as he mouthed down over his throat, to begin suckling on his sensitive nipples. Hands pushed hard against the powerful shoulders, as Nick squeaked when Zak bit down.

“Fuck...Jesus that’s……”

“That’s what?”

“Fucking hot…...it hurts, but it’s just so...…..” He couldn’t find the words, but his eyes, heavy lidded and deep, said it all.

Zak smirked, tracing a slow line over Nick’s hard abs, his fingers following the happy trail of the deep golden hair, until he was brushing over the short hair at the base of his cock. Teasing more, he pulled Nick’s thighs apart, holding one between his own powerful legs, and began stroking down, just feather light soft touches at the base of the solid meat. Nick was arching his back, trying to find stimulation for his leaking dick, his breath catching as he felt the long fingers eventually take his balls, in an agonisingly slow pull and roll, forcing him to groan loudly.

“That’s it dude…….” Nick squirmed his way out of the powerful grip…..”Turn the fuck over….now…” He wasted no time in positioning the older man on his hands and knees on the bed.  
“You better be ready for this…….”

He lubed his fingers in record time, holding onto Zak’s hips single handedly, as the fingers of his other hand entered the tight passage, encouraged as Zak’s breathy little whines accompanied his movements. As soon as he judged that he would be accommodated he rolled on the condom and pushed in slowly, halting as the head of his cock was squeezed tightly. 

“Ok?” he whispered, his voice hoarse with lust.

Seeing the dark head nod into the pillow, he held himself back, using the swollen head of his dick to stretch open his partner, careful to time his movements so Zak couldn’t rock back on him and engulf the full hard length. He grinned, despite the effort, as he felt Zak’s heavy muscles shaking, his muffled curses indicating in no uncertain terms that he needed to be fucked.

Nick leaned down, finally pushing forward until he was balls deep, using the sinewy strength of his thighs to set a smooth rhythm, knowing by the jerks and whimpers that Zak was having no trouble at all rapidly reaching orgasm. The younger man tried to hold off, slow down, anything to make it last longer, but before he could stop him Zak was howling spectacularly, giving Nick no choice but to let himself free and be swept along, where he spurted into Zak deep and hard.

 

Showered, dressed and a steaming mug of tea next to his elbow, Zak was sitting at the small kitchen table, outlining his plans to Nick. Of course, up until that moment he had no plans, but the two main factors he was thinking of, filming his next series, and spending more time with Nick, (not necessarily in that order!) seemed to provide a natural synergy, and with that, Zak was on a roll.

“You could do some of the research - the family brought loads of period stuff across from France, so there’s a huge back story…..Jeff is going to be away for a month, and I can’t give it to Aaron, otherwise it’ll end up being ‘Elf on a Shelf meets the Jedi.’ “

Nick spluttered into his coffee, knowing that despite Aaron’s many strengths, doing research was not one of them. He also knew that Zak was spinning out...there was nothing on which to base Nick’s prowess as a researcher, after all, like Zak, he was primarily a hunter, searching out paranormal evidence whenever the opportunity presented. No, Zak was full of enthusiasm, positively glowing, putting pieces together randomly until he found a match. The younger man smiled, wondering, for maybe the millionth time, where, at two a.m. Zak found all this energy.

“Well, maybe I could just take a look at this place…..you know….wander up out of the blue, like a tourist, and case out the joint?”  
His arms rose above his head, stretching, whilst Zak’s blue eyes were lost in thought.

“Yeah….that might work…..but don’t tell them where you’re from...the old guy who lives there has been fucking as uncooperative as hell.....although we might have….” he stopped mid sentence, seeing Nick staring into the distance, his head now propped up on his chin. “Sorry buddy….you need your sleep….I’d better make a move…..”

Nick held up his hands in mock horror.

“No dude...please...I’ve had more than enough of your moves….” he smirked, catching the sweet self conscious grin on Zak’s face, before the black haired man stood, swallowing down the last of his tea. As he turned, Nick pushed himself up in front of Zak, placing his hands on the broad shoulders, looking hard into his eyes.

“You are sure about this…..I need to know……” his voice soft, serious.

“Sure as I’ll ever be, bro…..this place will be a fantastic location...I just know it….”

Nick dropped his arms and dug his fingers hard into the muscle over Zak’s ribs.

Pushing him off, Zak chuckled good naturedly.

“Yes, I’m sure….” his eyes deep and blue, locked with Nick’s own, and the younger man sighed audibly. “Now, where did I put the pizza man outfit……”

 

Turning over yet again, Nick opened his eyes and sighed, sleep eluding him. His mind buzzing with thoughts of Zak, worrying about the future, and the implications of Zak’s reluctance to even be seen together. He reached for his phone, hoping a text might have sneaked in unannounced, but nothing. Next weekend he had to make the long flight to see his children, and although he was deeply committed to being a long distance parent, the time to make the round trip would make it even more difficult to spend time with Zak. 

In all the time he had been with him, making programmes, hanging out with the tall dark haired Ghost Hunter, it had seemed impossible for them ever to be close. He pulled the spare pillow towards him, burying his face, feeling his heart contract when he smelled the scent of Zak’s cologne. Suddenly, a text pinged in. As he read the message the sorrow he felt dissolved, and he rolled back into the pillow with a smile on his face.

 


	5. Private Investigation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick falls in with Zak's plan to go look at the old house.
> 
> I thought this would be gothic horror, but it's not - it actually gets more silly...but I write from a different place than the one that thinks.
> 
> Sorry its taken so long.....

He carefully locked the doors, and walked down the leafy lane; pretty with wild honeysuckle and colourful weeds springing out from the edges. Turning the corner he stopped, the house coming into view, his eyes wandering over the weathered timbers, three floors including the attics, and a small lean to porch. It certainly didn’t look haunted, but he knew that meant nothing. Clearly Zak knew something about the history, or he wouldn’t have been so keen to investigate. He took a photo, his face and the house in the background, and pinged it off to Zak. His heart still did that funny little skip beat when he thought of the grey blue eyes.

A movement, a small compact figure sliding carefully around the side of the porch, half hidden by the long grass, caught his attention. He stood, waiting. After a minute or so, the figure moved again, revealing a wide hat brim pulled low, and an old fashioned pair of dungarees. What was more unnerving was the double barrelled shotgun currently pointed at the ground.

Nick kept his composure, lifting his hands slightly as the figure came nearer. He couldn’t see if it was male or female, the sure footed tread giving nothing away. Trying to be friendly the man called out.

“Hi there…….sorry if I came on uninvited, I was interested in this old building here….mighty nice…...do you live here by any chance…?”

The figure halted just out of arms reach. Before he could say anything else, the wide brim lifted slightly, revealing a pale face, eyes like rusty pipes staring at Nick. Her mouth was set in a line, a deep pink scar stood out, zagging vertically down from her nose to just short of her cupids bow. She didn’t smile, even though Nick was trying to.

“No…...I visit……”

Her voice was raspy, like it was hardly ever used, and the thin clench of her lips didn’t change much as she spoke through her teeth. “What do you want, mister….?”

Nick’s first instinct was to err on the side of caution, no point in riling her up about ghosts and paranormal too soon, although if Zak were here, no doubt she’d be willingly giving him all sorts of tales of the hauntings in the house. He pushed away the thought of Zak’s charms, and told the girl that all he wanted was pictures. He kept any expression from his face as she turned her head and spat in the grass.

“Why? Ain’t no reason to be takin’ pictures of this old place….fuck…..it’s on the way to fallin’ down. Makes no sense man……..so why’re you really here?” Her arm tightened around the shotgun, a small move, but enough for Nick to feel the sweat pop out on the back of his neck. His hands rose again, palms out, the universal gesture of coming in peace.

“I do, I really do want photo’s…..I work for a production company and the guy….my boss….he likes to film old houses….”

“Oh...it’s ‘film’ now…..not photo’s…..you’ll be telling me next you wanna make a movie….” Her voice was sly, a note of triumph at having caught him out.

“Yeah….but that ain’t nothing to do with me….I just came here...on this lovely afternoon…” he smiled, showing his white teeth in what he hoped was a friendly grin….”my name’s Nick…..” a pause, she didn’t reply……”You are….?” he added hopefully.

“Lizard”

“How d’ya do Lizzie…..”

“Lizard…..!” she corrected him huffily.

“Sorry…..” he looked up at her, trying to charm her into a smile, but that didn’t work.

“Is it OK if I have a look around…..if you come with me…...promise I’ll not be any trouble…..”  
Nick tried to win her over, unconsciously using his ‘daddy’ voice; the way he spoke to his kids.

“T’aint you that’s likely to be trouble, man……..although there’s no one home at the moment…..” Her eyes met his in a calculated stare, not friendly, but not exactly hard either. Nick chose not to ask what she meant, just continued his silent wide eyed plea. Slowly she allowed the gun to drop under her arm. “Come on then…..be dark soon….and you’d better be gone by then…..oh yeah…….” her voice was soft, as she turned, expecting him to follow her through the weeds to the house.

They walked around in silence, apart from the whisper of the grass, and the occasional crunch of something broken hidden underfoot. Nick had captured just about every inch of the outside, which gave him a hankering to go inside. He walked up to the back entrance, tapping his foot against the bottom step, reassured by the solid feel of the woodwork. She hadn’t spoken to him, keeping her face down behind the shelter of the hat brim.

“Lizard…...what about a peek inside…….? If no-one’s at home, no-one’ll know I’ve been here….” She moved the shotgun over to the other arm, reminding him that she was the one with the power. A breeze started, cool, making the grass whisper and swish in it’s wake. Nick could feel his heart beating….there was a palpable tension in the atmosphere.

Almost startling him, she slid past him, and up the steps to the peeling painted door. Shoving the old wood panel, she turned back to him, revealing her face as she looked down. Nick finally saw her smile, a mean look without a trace of humour, showing a gap where one of her front teeth was missing. She pointed inside, to the dim interior. “What’cha waiting for...get y’r ass in here...and don’t make no noise….and don’t fucking touch anything.”  
Nick wasted no time in bounding up the wooden steps, and entering the house.


	6. If this is the portal to hell..............

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A very bizarre experience.......

Zak grabbed his phone as soon as the text pinged. He had spent all afternoon in only half awareness of the meeting, knowing that Nick was planning to visit the house this afternoon. A half smile showed on his handsome face, before he turned away from Aaron and Billy, to examine the picture, seeing Nick smiling in the foreground, behind him the grimy windows of the old building, just taken, judging by the way the sun was slanting across the overgrown garden. He almost whooped out loud as he recognised the potential for an investigation. There was no message, which disappointed him a little.

Hey Bro…..I need more…….much more……..

He pressed send, hoping Nick would get the smutty implication; Zak had an almost schoolboy sense of humour when the mood took him. His mind shifted automatically onto fond images of Nick, making him twist around in his seat, as he realised that just thinking about the liquid brown eyes and the hot mouth was making his cock hard. He roused himself to speak over the usual racket made by his colleagues, his voice deep and only slightly irritable.

“I think that about wraps it up for today guys…...I’ll send out some new schedules in the morning…...and Billy….don’t forget to tag that audio...that’s a class A EVP if ever I heard one.”

He waited as the crew left the office, shooing Aaron away even when it was obvious the bald guy wanted to stay, so he could relax into the quiet. All the humming and beeping stopped; the yelling and joking and things thrown through the air melted away, and the place became still. A large beat up leather sofa was pushed up against one wall, one of Zak’s cast off’s, but still comfortable. He sprawled out, taking off his hat, and allowing himself the rare luxury of running his fingers through his hair. He flicked to the photo, examining the detail. A small shadow, looking like a person standing around, just visible over the edge of the pathway piqued his curiosity, wondering how Nick had managed to get in there if someone was standing guard.

Thinking of Nick again, wanting to be with him…..and feeling a little guilty that he had almost hassled him into going to this location. Pushing the screen he fired off another text.

How’s it going? Fancy some company?

He smirked, pushing off his boots. Putting the water bottle on the floor, he stretched out. Before long, the only sounds were of his breathing as he drifted sound asleep. 

Nick, shouting, “Get me outta here!!”.........then his own voice…..”If this is the portal to hell…..”. Moving in his sleep, recognising the well at Bobby Mackeys…..feeling himself falling…..hearing screams….was it Carl? Or was that Nick’s voice?

His eyes flew open, awake...the tension from the dream tight around him like a wire cage. Sitting up, his foot caught the water bottle….in the light from the nearby speaker it looked like a puddle of blood spreading over the floor. He shuddered, reaching for his phone.

“What the fuck?” Brows pulled close, he scowled at the picture….it seemed to have changed, somehow the light had faded, Nick was no longer smiling, and the shadow had moved. Zak’s imagination saw the shadow of a two fingered claw cast around the younger man’s neck.  
“Holy Fuck…..” he forced his feet into his boots, grabbing his jacket and keys, stopping to fumble in a drawer for the small bottle of Holy water on the way out.

 

The house was much larger on the inside than it looked. Nick walked over the old creaking boards, taking in the wooden beams, the old piano, and furniture which seemed to date back to the 1900’s.   
“Hey, this is really cool……” his face lit up as he turned, but soon changed to a look of puzzlement, as he realised that he was alone.

“Lizard…..Lizard!” his voice raised, as he checked out the shadows, realising that the evening was drawing in. A door was slightly ajar at the other end of the room, which he slowly approached. As he swung it open, he felt very cool air across his face, but as a seasoned professional he attributed it to nothing more than the air coming up from the basement, cooler than the sun warmed air of the ground floor. He craned his head around, trying to see into the gloom, pulling a torch from his pocket as he did so.

The wooden steps seemed sturdy enough, as he moved down, calling again to the young woman who had accompanied him into the house.

“Lizard…..where are you…..is it safe down here do you know?” Total silence.

He stepped further, catching sight of boards piled in the centre of the room, looking like someone had been digging into the foundations. He walked away from the steps, drawn to the back wall, where he saw ropes and farm implements hanging from the beams, but the light from the small high windows was fading, making it difficult to see details. Nick felt the atmosphere changing, as it grew dark. He turned towards the centre, where the digging had been happening, wanting to see what, if anything was there. As he peered down, the beam of the torch revealed a round stone aperture, looking like the rim of a well. 

He drew closer, flicking the small beam of the torch over the churned up earth; he wondered if Zak would suit up and dig this out properly, he couldn’t help but smile. Thinking it was nothing out of the ordinary, he poked around in the debris, but when he noticed some odd looking fragments sticking out of the earth he became tense. Sure enough, when he picked up one, he recognised what he thought was a finger bone.

“Fuck!” He dropped it quickly. He froze as he heard a low laugh, seeming to come directly from the hole in the ground. A short step back, expecting to turn and walk out, but stopped by something hard and solid, like a brick wall, up against his back. Now he felt fear.

“Holy Fuck, get off me….now...you motherfucker…..”

But the presence was pushing him forward, forcing him to move his feet, an inch at a time, to prevent it toppling him over. It felt like he was slowly being frozen to death. He struggled trying to push back, his arms immobile, his mind in a frenzied rush, wondering why this was happening. At the edge of the wall, he forced himself to look down, recognising that this looked very much like the well at Bobby Mackeys. Swallowing painfully, his whole body numb with the cold, he knew that if he didn’t try to climb down, the thing behind him was going to push him into the well.

 

Zak gunned the engine, changing gear and accelerating off into the cool evening, heading towards Nick as fast as he possibly could. Something was wrong, he knew it. It didn’t take an empath to see that the photo had changed significantly. More telling, there had not even been one text since the picture arrived…..that troubled Zak most. They had been texting almost constantly since Zak had played the pizza man that night….just little messages, some smutty, some quite serious, but enough to weave themselves into each others lives, despite the hours they spent apart.

And they were apart. A lot. Nick lost one weekend a month to a visit with his family, and Zak always had stuff he needed to do, whether it was his family, work related, or just hanging out with some of his friends. Although they had discussed ways in which Nick might re-appear publicly in Zak’s circle, ultimately it seemed better that Nick remained in the background, doing his own thing. Or so he had been persuaded by the older man.

As a result, Nick often felt lonely, and frequently jealous. He had found himself doing stupid things, out of character things, risky in terms of his career, as he spent hot nights with Zak followed by days at the studio, then straight into a lockdown, becoming more strung out, tired and short tempered. It had got so bad that Katrina was hardly speaking to him, only acting like nothing had changed in front of the camera. He had lost weight, and his normal incredible fitness level had waned.

So it was, that when Zak wheedled him into visiting this old deserted house, he had allowed himself to be persuaded. Doing a walk through, even in daylight, was usually a no-no when alone, but Nick felt that the years he had been doing paranormal investigations was sufficient to guarantee his safety.

But even a seasoned Ghost Hunter could be wrong.


	7. Lying on a Slab

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry its taken so long to post more...
> 
> Nick gets into trouble, and Zak's attempted rescue turns bizarre...
> 
> Don't know what I was thinking...this is nothing like I planned to write

Zak thumbed the keyboard on the phone, risky at the speed he was doing, calling Nick for what seemed like the millionth time. He fully expected voice mail, but his blood ran cold, when he heard a click, followed by a scream. A really scary scream. Nick. Then the phone clicked again and silence followed. 

Zak’s hands were gripping the wheel until his knuckles were white. His mind flew around the situation, finding it hard to believe that something had gone so radically wrong….what was happening? He recognised the power of evil…..he knew the bad things it could do….yet Nick.…..why would anything hurt him? The answer came back into his mind immediately. Because it could. Cold rumbles of fear stirred in his belly, knowing it was all down to him, he had gone on about this location like a squeaky wheel, until Nick, like a puppy dog always eager to please, has said yes. Zak thumped the wheel, making the car swerve dangerously. Forcing himself to concentrate, the tall man peered out, intent on finding the house from where he had heard Nick scream.

A shiver started in his scalp, and rippled, as if it were under his skin, coldly, slowly, making his body ache. His body was frozen in ice, but he could still feel sensation, despite the bone deep chill. His brown eyes, almost frozen too, could make out blurry shapes, mostly black and greyish white. He didn’t try to reason, he couldn’t speak, just lay like a bug suspended in amber, but not quite so dead.

Headlights cut through the mist, as Zak forced the car over the rutted track, braking only when he caught sight of Nick’s car left abandoned in the hedge. It must be close now, he slowed, looking out for the roof line over the trees. Within a few minutes he came to a break in the hedge, hard to see in the twilight. Without hesitation, out of the car, he pulled himself over the gate, his long legs pumping on through the tall grass to the black shadow of the porch. He didn’t realise it, but he was praying, over and over, for Nick’s safety.

Inside there was nothing to see, just an old living room, dusty furniture and a slightly musty smell. He shone the torch, swearing to himself, frustrated, but still sure that Nick was in trouble. He shouted,

“Nick…..Nick...where are you…?”

The door he saw at the end of the room was swinging open. He didn’t hesitate…...pushing his way through, down the wooden steps…..then pulling up short...his eyes bugging out at what he saw.

It was the well at Bobby Mackeys…..where he had leaned over and told the spirits to come out and get them…(if that was the portal to hell….)…...a flickering light seemed to shine, as if there was something, like another room, down inside the well. Then faintly, softly, he heard the voice of his partner, the words unintelligible, but he recognised the terror he expressed. In that moment Zak knew that he needed for Nick to be safe, and it was his responsibility to make sure of that. Zak’s anger made him reckless….running to the edge of the well, he lowered himself down, into the flickering gloom, with no idea of what he would face.

What he did face was nothing like he expected. He saw an old hillbilly looking dude, in cord pants and a battered straw hat calmly leaning back on a rocking chair, smoking a very smelly corn cob pipe. The flickering light Zak saw was coming from an ancient TV, something from the 1960’s he guessed, distractedly. Zak swiped his arm over his forehead, damp with sweat, then he looked around for Nick. The younger man was laid out on a table, something like a mortuary slab, unmoving. Zak could see his profile, his arms crossed over his chest, but it was too dark to see anything else. The tall ghost hunter made a determined move towards the body of his friend, but bumped up against an invisible wall of ice before he could get near.

“Just come back here, young fella…..you and me got some talking to do…….and I don’t intend to talk to the back of your neck……..even if you’ve got some darn wings growin’ there….I’ll be darned…..” Without his conscious decision, Zak found himself moving in the direction of a beat up looking kitchen chair, and he sat down heavily.

“Who the fuck are you? What have you done to Nick….?” his voice was anxious, loud in the confines of the small room.

“There’s no need for that, Zak Bagans…..you do far too much cussin’....you think that because you put a bleep over it them young’ns don’ know what you’re saying...well they do...and it ain’t good.”

Zak tried to sit forward, his mouth all ready to argue, but he found himself pinned in the chair, his arms straight by his sides.

“You don’t need to know who I am, but I’m here to tell you it’s time to mend your ways…..do you know what I mean……?” He pointed the stem of the pipe at Zak as he spoke, emphasising his words.

A look of puzzlement was over Zak’s face, his pallor changing from pale to flushed in the space of a moment.

“Yeah…..it’s no coincidence this place looks like Bobby Mackeys…..you remember that place?” The grumpy old man continued, giving Zak an evil stare.

Zak could only nod his head.

“And what were you doin’ there Zak?…..Tauntin’ demons….you just couldn’t wait for something to show up and dance to your tune. Well, THEY AIN’T TO BE MESSED WITH!”

His voice reverberated in the space, making Zak’s heart leap in his chest.

The old guy had stood up, raising his voice to more than human volume. He gave Zack a glare that made his hair stand on end, and his nuts run for cover.

Walking over, he stood looking down on the inert body of Nick.

“This guy….he’s tried to help you, put himsel’ out on a limb for you….but where does he end up…..

“LYING ON A SLAB……”


	8. Getaway

The booming voice made Zak want to cover his ears, but his hands were still pinned down, powerless to move. He had a look of sheer incredulity on his face, his eyes grey and staring, his teeth bared as he grimaced from all the shouting the old man was doing.

“So, are you going mend your ways…..try to help the living…..and not poking that mighty beak of yours where it’s got no business bein’ poked?” The man was standing over Zak, his eyes bulging and mad looking. In the flickering light from the ancient T.V. Zak couldn’t tell if the man was solid, or if he was somehow ghostly and insubstantial. Either way, he didn’t care. He just wanted to get Nick and get out.

Nick…..Zak tried to twist around, hoping to see if his partner was coming around. The snub nosed profile was exactly the same. Turning back, he flinched as the old guy held his face only inches from Zak’s own, the smelly pipe gripped between his yellowed teeth. Close enough to see the broken veins on his nose, and the red rimmed eyes staring back.

“What do you want….” The black haired man said softly.

“I want you to stop it with the taunting...and the cussing…..and using people to do your dirty work…...if you want to run around chasing demons, then don’t use the likes of Aaron...and this guy here…” he gestured at the prone body on the slab…”don’t use them. Especially when they care about you so much.”

Zak blinked, a small frown crossing his face.

“What do you mean….who cares about me so much?”

“HELL FIRE…..you can’t see it can you?” He quietened down, moving out of Zak’s face and sitting back on the rocking chair, moving to and fro in small agitated jerks. Eventually he looked back at Zak, a deep frown creasing his face.

“Just take him back…..and look after him…..and the others…...and if I catch you putting their lives at risk again, boy, I’ll do more than freeze you to the chair….you’ll not get a second chance…..”

“Who are you?” Zak had to ask, hardly registering what the old man had said, but knowing he had to take note.

“My name is Ellery Montaigne….I’ve lived here for, oh….must be all of two hundred years now….but that’s of no matter….you’d better get gone now….take the young dude with you…”

His body suddenly released from the chair, Zak sprung forward, heading for the slab where he could see Nick, very pale and still, lying unmoving. The ice he had felt before no longer hindered him, as he swung Nick’s body up, folding him over his shoulder and made for the ladder leading back out from the strange stuffy little room.

He didn’t stop, even with Nick’s weight, he pulled up the wooden rungs, his breath gasping in his throat. The flickering light seemed to dance behind him, and suddenly he heard a very familiar voice, coming tinnily out of the old TV.

“My name is Zak Bagans, and I never believed in ghosts………”

He reached the basement door, hoisting Nick’s body higher on his shoulder, feeling the bony hip joints digging into his shoulder, he made a dash for the outside.

 

The door swung open, and Zak, out of breath and shaky, bent down and rolled the younger man into the passenger seat. The familiar face, pale and waxy, eyes still closed, breath shallow, all symptoms which had Zak quaking, as he pulled his own jacket over the still form, his long fingers pressing over the cold flesh, hunting for a pulse.

Satisfied that Nick was still alive, Zak gunned the engine, heading back, not knowing if it was to ER, or to his own home.  
“Stay with me Nick….come on bro…..keep breathing……” One hand on the wheel, the other tucking in the coat draped around the still body.


	9. Lessons Learned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zak finally understands....

Zak had spent hours in the gym, building his physique, but he still found it a struggle to get the barely conscious body of Nick out of the car, across the hallway and up the stairs into the bathroom. He had read somewhere that a warm bath was the best way to treat hypothermia. He laid Nick on the carpet, and turned on the tap to full, before he tried to get the uncooperative body out from jeans and shirt.

“Come on bro...help me out here….you need to get warm…..” he pleaded, just as he realised that putting Nick in the huge tub, on his own in his current state would probably drown him. Pulling his own clothes off as he cooled the bath water from scalding to warm, he pulled Nick up to sit on the edge of the tub, stepping in himself, then lowering them both into the warm water, still wearing a tee shirt and boxers.

He had his arm around Nick’s chest, the close cropped head resting against his shoulder while he tried his best to submerge as much of the cold body as he could, all the while muttering encouragement to the younger man. Eventually he felt weak struggles, signs of Nick becoming conscious, and breathed a huge sigh of relief.

“It’s OK….you’re safe now...it’s me, Zak...you were frozen...I’m just trying to defrost you man……”

Then Nick started to shiver….so badly Zak had to move his head back to avoid been hit under the chin. 

“Wha...Wha...the fu...so fucking….co oo oold…..” His voice was weak, as he struggled to make sense of what was happening.

“Calm down man….some crazy old coot had you frozen down, but you’re safe now….can you sit up? You need some hot tea…..”

Zak pulled himself out from under the dead weight on his legs, and climbed out of the deep tub, turning to check that Nick was indeed gripping the edge of the bath, still shivering despite the warm water and steam, his eyes open and staring.

Some time later, bundled in towels and shivering intermittently, Nick sipped the hot sweet tea, propped up against the pillows in Zak’s huge bed. The dark haired man had pulled on sweat pants and a dry tee shirt, still glancing anxiously at Nick over the rim of his own mug of tea. Both men were silent, trying to process the strange events of the evening.

Eventually, Nick pushed the mug into Zak’s waiting hand, settling down into the duvet, his hair damp and plastered to his skull. Zak, unsure if what to do next, stood, ready to leave his friend to sleep.

“Don’t go…...stay with me……” Nick whispered, half asleep. Zak smiled weakly, crawling under the covers, and rolling Nick sideways, so he could spoon into his back. Soon both were sleeping soundly, Zak’s arm protectively resting over Nick’s chest.

The bell chiming and Gracie yapping were intruding into Zak’s consciousness, pulling him from a deep sleep. As he woke, he felt an arm over his waist, and the events of the previous evening swarmed into his mind. He turned, seeing Nick blinking, and before he made any conscious decision to do it, he kissed him on the mouth.

“Don’t move, I’ll be back in a bit” he smiled.

Of course it was Aaron, the lanky body leaning against the door jamb, with a quizzical look on his stubbly face.  
“Hey bro…..where were you? We thought you were supposed to be meeting us for breakfast….you not showered yet?” he stared meaningfully at Zak’s well mussed hair.

“Err..no...something came up…” Zak’s mind was in a turmoil, wondering if, and how much he should tell the bald man, who was now trying to see over the other man’s shoulder. “I’ll catch up with you later, Bro...just need to get something sorted…..” his voice was low, but his eyes, soft and blue in the morning light, were determined.

“OK...OK..I get the message….you need to sort out something……” he drawled, winking at Zak and smirking broadly. “Text me when you have ‘it’ sorted, and I’ll swing by and pick you up….” He ran his hand over his bald head, still smiling, before pushing a small wallet file of documents into Zak’s hand. “Nearly forgot…..this is the research on that old house you’ve been wantin’…...hope they help……” Then he turned away, heading back to his car.

Re-locking the door, and making for the kitchen, Zak quickly made more tea, fussing with Gracie while the kettle boiled. Eventually, he let the dog out into the yard, and carried the hot drinks, and some cookies, back up to his bedroom.

The younger man was lying on his back with his eyes closed, but blinked as he heard the soft tread enter the room.

“Here...I brought you tea…..” Zak waited as Nick pushed himself up against the solid wooden headboard, passing the mug into Nick’s hand, before sliding back into the bed himself. He was quiet as Nick hungrily crunched down on a cookie, the memory of what the old man had told him surfacing unbidden into his thoughts.

“Nick…..have I treated you badly…..?”

Swallowing his tea, Nick’s eyes locked onto Zak’s blue stare.

“What do you mean, man….you got me out from that crazy house….I would never have made it if you hadn’t come after me……”

Zak looked down.

“No...I don’t mean last night….I sent you there, for Chrissakes...I was responsible….no...I mean since we got together…..I’ve been thinking…..I only ever seem to see you for sex….the rest of the time...err...I’ve just been...well...I just don’t see you...we never go out...we don’t go to movies…..”

Nick put down his mug and shuffled closer.

“It’s ok...I know you don’t want anyone to know about us….that’s your call….I just see you when you can….I know that…..” His voice was soft, but there was an undertone of sadness, something Zak could feel, making his chest hurt inside.

“That old guy, when you were frozen to the slab..he was pretty pissed at me...said I’d been using the people who are my friends….I put them in danger….” his voice trailed off sadly. Glancing back at Nick he tried to read his expression, seeing the downcast turn to the full lips.

“I don’t want to be that person Nick. Not to you..or Aaron...or Billy……” he paused…”but especially to you Nick.”

Nick stared straight ahead, his mind racing. A deep breath later he turned back to face Zak.  
“Listen….I know you don’t mean it if I get hurt….it’s something I have to deal with….maybe I do get lonely….and it can be difficult at times….but I don’t blame you…..I know we just got into this because you wanted...well...you wanted to ‘experiment’....I know that you are not about to take any risks...and that sooner or later the novelty will wear off...and then….” he stopped, abruptly, his voice choked.  
Zak froze as he realised just what Nick was saying, his emotions churning, trying to get his feelings in check before he spoke. He didn’t want to hold back, but where did he start?

He curled his hand softly over Nick’s jawline, feeling the tension under his fingers.

Nick...Nicky…..you aren’t some sort of ‘experiment’...Jesus….I’ve had feelings for you for years...way back….when we first made programmes together…….and OK...I tried to get them out of my system...with girls…..hell...if anyone was an ‘experiment’ it was Marianne…...I tried to love her...I really did….but things never seemed quite right...and then..before I got in too deep...well she...she….” he broke off, a sob trapped in his throat.

Nick’s hand reached out, rubbing Zak’s forearm comfortingly. Zak held his tears in check, soldiering on, not looking at the sweet puppy brown eyes now full of compassion for the struggle he witnessed. When he spoke again, his voice was soft but determined.

“G….there is no one I’d rather be with….I’ve been stupid…..I have treat you badly...but I want things to be different…”

Nick’s brow crinkled, as he felt Zak gripping his shoulder, his fingers squeezing. The blue eyes bright, as he looked directly into Nick’s warm brown gaze.

“Don’t you understand….I love you….as in I want us to be together….I don’t want to hide anymore…..” Despite his anxious expression, his mouth quirked up into a smile when he glanced at Nick, where the brightest, biggest grin was splitting his face. The younger man reached around, drawing Zak into his strong hug, where Zak settled, adjusting so they could lie close together, still cuddled in the warm bed.

“Are you sure about this?” Nick whispered.

“About being together or loving you?” the Ghost Hunter’s brows drew together in a mock frown. Nick continued to look into the blue eyes, so close that he could make out the smoke like wisps of grey, colouring his eyes to the hue of star sapphires.

Zak pulled him even closer, until his mouth was almost touching Nick’s smile. “I’m sure….about all of it….and especially you…….I’m yours...if you’ll have me……”

The kiss they shared was slightly awkward, as they were both smiling broadly, but in a few seconds they were both lost in each other, wrapped tightly together like they would never let go again.


End file.
